For half and full maraton runners few things are as great as when cheering and fun from the audience – friends, family or just spectators – boosts you with energy.
Find below my instructive guide to become the ultimate star on the course sideline. Yay !
Sunday April 23th 2017 I completed the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon. Find below my full race coverage plus some tourist impressions from the Polish capital.
Warsaw City
Warsaw City includes the picturesque Old Town – which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list – and a number of beautiful shopping streets such as Krakowskie Przedmiescie and Ulica Nowy Swiat. I did not have time to visit museums during my short stay (arrived Saturday Morning, home Sunday evening after the race), but they are plenty in Warsaw and features both the WWII, Chopin and Copernikus just to mention a few most famous ones. I mostly strolled around in the very pleasant Old Town area, very scenic especially at night time.
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ORLEN Warsaw Marathon 2017
The ORLEN Warsaw Marathon started at 09.00 in the morning at the foot of the impressive PGE Narodowy Stadion. The route carried the runners firstly by the River Vistula, then through the Old Town of Warsaw and later through various suburbs before the turn in a distant park and seeking home – in gusting head winds – towards the finish back at the Stadion. I found the route to be of good variation and with, of course, the Old Town, Krakowskie Przedmiescie and Ulica Nowy Swiat to be the major attractions.
I enjoyed the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon, it is a superbly and very professionally arranged event indeed. It is very clear that it is a generous race with a deep love for both Warsaw and the participants, and it thus not difficult to recommend a trip hereto.
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See or relive Warsaw Marathon 2017 here (and in polish):
Sunday April 2nd 2017 I ran the magnificient Bratislava Marathon. Find below my full race coverage plus some tourist impressions.
Bratislava City
Bratislava City was everything I hoped for: quite, scenic, just lovable and with that twist of the old Eastern Europe that is so special. Highlights during my very short stay was meeting up with a very old friend and the 7 course beer menu at the top of the UFO with very nice food, top beer brands and extremely good and friendly service by the staff. I’d go back just for that.
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Bratislava Marathon 2017
The Bratislava Marathon started at 10.00 in the morning so for once it was possible to eat a full breakfast in the hotel. The day turned out very warm and sunny and the route was flat, varied, scenic and simply just great even given the fact that you had to do two identical rounds for a full marathon. The race was my completion of a marathon in country #30 and thus I became, memorably, member of the elusive Marathon Country Club and a three flag member of the Marathon Globetrotters. I LOVED the scenic route around Bratislava as you may infer from the pictures in the report.
Visiting Bratislava Marathon is very, very highly recommended.
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See or relive Bratislava Marathon 2017 here (and in slovak):
Sunday March 5th 2017 I ran the Vodafone Malta Marathon. Find below my full race coverage plus some tourist impressions.
Malta: Sliema, Valletta, Mdina and Rabat
Admittedly, I knew very little about Malta prior to this trip. However, one can reach to see quite a lot during just one day of dedicated turisting, and on Malta I got to see the major highlights of Mdina, Rabat, Sliema and Valletta. I found the atmosphere and price level of Malta very accomodating and have for sure gotten taste for more of what this small country has to offer. But take a look at the pictures yourself (click to see larger versions). I guess Mdina and the catacombs in Rabat was the most interesting in terms of History, not to mention St. Paul’s Grotto also. But also just to walk the narrow, impressionistic streets of Sliema and Valletta, especially at nighttime, was very soothing.
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Vodafone Malta Marathon 2017
The Malta Marathon started at 07.30 in the morning. The race course took off from Mdina and there was organized bus transport from hours 06.00 from Sliema, however, I took a taxi (hours 06.45) from the hotel after a kind tip from Thomas from Switerzerland thus sleeping an hour more plus reaching the hotel breakfast. The full marathon involves a lot of “running about” in the Mdina area before rejoining the half marathon route and half marathon runners and power walkers (!) towards the finish at Sliema Bay. I think there were many beautiful sights during the race and found it overall to be a great experience!
Visiting Malta Marathon is highly recommended, of course, and I think I will return soon again myself.
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See or relive Malta Marathon 2017 here (and in maltese):
Friday Janurary 20th 2017 I ran the Dubai Marathon. Find below my full race coverage plus some tourist impressions from this very special city.
Dubai City
I was very excited about visiting Dubai after having seen stuff about this luxurious city in various TV shows. It is safe to say that the city delivered! The Dubai Mall and the Burj Al Khalifa is for sure some of the most impressive things build by man and the luxury of the Burj Al Arab is second to none. Still, as you can read in the report, what have made an I will even say life-turning impression is the stories of the taxi-drivers of the city! Well, please read the report and you will understand. I am still trying to digest the Dubai experience but for sure before everything I think about the taxi drivers and their tough lives away from their families. It has really gotten to me.
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Dubai Marathon 2017
The Dubai Marathon started at 06.30 in the morning. The course is extremely flat and is essentially running back and forth of the beach drive in Dubai, crossing the iconic Burj Al Arab a few times as a bonus. The day became rather warm and especially humid somewhat making a great performance from my side less probably. The conditions must, however, have suited the elite runners well as new race records were set in both the men’s and women’s marathons. The sights of the route are spectacular and with the view of the Burj Khalifa as the top attraction in several meanings of the words. Visiting Dubai Marathon is highly recommended, of course.
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See or relive Dubai Marathon 2017 here (and in arab):
